Friday, May 20, 2005

Des Moines Register Calls For Iraq Inquiry

Is it the "smoking gun" that proves President Bush misled the nation into war?

Not quite. But it should be enough for Congress finally to see its duty and launch a formal, independent inquiry.

One would think.

They also address the relevance of the memo. Does it really matter? After all, perhaps the lack of interest in the media has more to do with the public's disinterest in such a story.

Perhaps it doesn't matter. The lack of uproar in this country over the Downing Street Memo suggests that the public is more interested in completing the mission successfully than in rehashing how it began. Indeed, that's where the focus should be.Still, it's important to establish the truth of how the United States came to invade a country that posed no threat to us. It's important for the historical record and for better decision-making in the future. Congress, which authorized the invasion at the president's request, has an oversight responsibility to inquire and to report to the nation.